OANA acting actively on int’l developments: IRNA CEO

Tokyo, IRNA – Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Ali Naderi has said that the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies, known as OANA, acts actively when it comes to international developments including those in Palestine.

Naderi, who is also the current president of OANA, made the comment on Saturday in the Japanese capital Tokyo where he opened a meeting of the Executive Board of the organization.    

He said that OANA has acted actively in support of the Palestinian people, defending journalists covering the Gaza war, and pushing for the journalists working in the occupied territories to act freely.

OANA is not a passive organization regarding international developments, rather it acts actively, he stressed.

Elsewhere in the world, including in Asia, there have been key developments in recent months, the OANA president said, citing as an example the membership of Iran, the UAE, Egypt and Ethiopia at the bloc of newly-emerged economies, known as BRICS.

He described BRICS as an important group that would play an influential role in creating a multipolar world order and said that two of the newly-received members, namely Iran and the UAE, are in Asia and part of OANA.

Less than three months into 2024, Asia has also seen key elections in several countries including Iran, the Azerbaijan Republic, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia, the OANA president added.  

According to Naderi, news agencies face challenges when it comes to comprehensively covering developments and offering a true image of events to the audience.

The Tokyo meeting, he said, aims to address those challenges and find ways to remove them.

Also, two specialized conferences on attracting young audience and diversifying sources of income for news agencies are set to take place on the sidelines of the Tokyo meeting, he added.

OANA was founded in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 22, 1961. A total of 42 news agencies from 35 Asian countries are members of the organization which is currently chaired by IRNA.

The Islamic Republic News Agency will hold the presidency of OANA until 2025.